Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias ), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near.
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
Philip answered him, "Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"
Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
There are a lot of lessons to be learned from this story - the story of the five loaves and two fishes… and all of them have to do with faith.
There were a lot of people on that mountainside that day - 5,000 men, and probably twice as many women and children. The writers of scripture weren’t into enumerating women and children, so even though the Bible says 5,000, it was probably closer to 15,000 people. Whatever the exact number, Jesus saw a perfect opportunity to teach his disciples - and the rest of the people – about faith. This wasn’t just a chance to show off with another miracle; this was a way to illustrate what faith really is to everyone present that day.
So Jesus asked Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" Philip, being just like you and me, immediately began figuring the cost of feeding a crowd that large. Philip knew that there was no way they could come up with enough money for groceries for that crowd! So he immediately tried to shoot down the idea of springing for lunch.
But Philip didn’t count on two things…. First of all, he didn’t count on Jesus. He forgot who had asked the question. He jumped straight into reality mode, forgetting everything he had learned about faith. The second thing Philip didn’t count on was one little boy… one little boy who was willing to give up his lunch, if it would help with the problem… one little boy who willingly gave up everything he had to eat, knowing that Jesus would not allow him to go hungry… one little boy who, with this one act, illustrated perfect faith - knowing he couldn’t do a thing about the problem, but fully believing that Jesus could.
You and I face things every day that logic says are impossible – finances, health, relationships, all sorts of situations that arise in our lives that are seemingly insurmountable problems. But rather than wallowing in despair… rather than slipping into the same kind of reality mode that Philip did… we need to exercise the kind of faith this one little boy illustrated so beautifully. We need to exercise true faith - knowing we can’t, but believing that He can.
Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son.
Picture this scene: A courtroom somewhere in America . The air is alive with tension as the defendant, who is guilty as sin, stands before the Judge for his verdict. Without hesitating, the judge says, "Not guilty," slamming his gavel down with a boom. The defendant leaps for joy and says, "I KNEW I was going to get off!!" Doesn’t really present a pretty picture, does it? Or does it…..
That’s the same scene that you and I will replay when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ. We will stand there, guilty as sin, waiting for His verdict. His incredible voice, pouring like a river of warm love over us, will - without hesitation - say, "Not guilty." And you and I will leap for joy, saying, "I KNEW I had been forgiven!"
It’s hard for us to think of judgment that way, isn’t it? Judgment, to us, is more akin to the scene that will occur at the Great White Throne – the judgment seat of God, where He will reign at the judgment of the damned. The passage is brief, but it is a deeply terrifying scene to consider. Let’s look at that scene, as found in Revelation 20:11-15 NIV:
11”Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
(Note that in verse 12, the book of life is distinguished as separate from the “books”. No one in line at the Great White Throne will find his or her name written in the book of life. Conversely, no one whose name is written in the book of life will stand before the Great White Throne.)
That’s a rough scene, isn’t it? But that’s one line the believers in Jesus will get to pass by. Why? Because Jesus is counsel for your defense! He’s not the prosecuting attorney sent to trip you up and throw you into hell. Although Jesus states here that all judgment has been entrusted to Him, for those who love Him, He has already written our verdict on the cross with His blood. And today, He sits on the Mercy Seat at the right hand of the Father, constantly pleading our case.
Does this mean that we have a license to sin? NO! As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:10 NIV, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." We are responsible for the things we do, and if we love Him, we will live our lives in ways that will please Him, and we will do the “good works” He has prepared in advance for us to do for His glory. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)
What this does mean is that you and I are free - free from the bondage of the law, free from sin and death.
Spend some time today thinking about what a precious gift He gave you, bought and paid for with His blood at Calvary, and how blessed you are to be able to enjoy His advocacy now, and to be able to await His judgment.
For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
For this reason… With every step, every word, in every way, Jesus infuriated the Jews. It was bad enough that he kept breaking the Law, but Jesus made things worse by saying that he was equal with God. Later on, He would tell them that He WAS God!
In this instance, he had broken the Sabbath. Then he took it one step further and said, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." In other words, "The Father has been working, and continues to work, even on the Sabbath; I, too, have been working, and continue to work, even on the Sabbath." And that, to those faithful, law-abiding Jews, was the final straw. Or so they thought.
For this reason… Whoa! Doesn’t Genesis 2:2 say that God rested on the seventh day? Yes, it does. But He was resting from His creation activity, which was complete. (Hebrews 4:3) Several thousand years later, the weekly Sabbath was ordained in order for the Jews to commemorate that fact. Once creation was finished, God began the work of conserving what he had created. And now, he is "sustaining all things by His powerful word." (Hebrews 1:3) When sin entered God’s creation, he began the long work of redeeming his cursed and disintegrating creation. (Romans 8:20-23). So it was perfectly proper for Jesus to "do good" on the Sabbath. (Luke 6:9)
For this reason… What does this mean for you and me? The same thing Jesus was trying to tell the Jews… that we should not allow man-made restrictions, traditions and "laws" to drag us back into the bondage Jesus broke on the cross. Romans 10:4 (NIV) says, "Christ is the end of the law, so there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." Jesus is the complete end and fulfillment of the law’s 613 commandments, ending their jurisdiction over us completely. We are no longer justified by law keeping of any kind.
For this reason… Galatians 2:16 (NIV) says, "… know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified." And in Hebrews 7:18-19 (NIV), "The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God."
For this reason… God’s rending of the veil in the temple at the moment of Jesus’ death was a powerful demonstration that the Old Testament covenant had been done away with, and that God was beginning a new and superior covenant with His church. Matthew 27:51 says, "At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split." God showed in a wonderful way that the way to Him was opened (Hebrews 10:14-16). No longer is there a need for priesthoods, altars, temples, rites or sacrifices. Jesus has finished, once for all, the works of salvation by His death on the cross. (Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 10:10; Romans 6:10). This earthquake is parallel with the earthquake at Mt. Sinai when God gave Moses the Law. (Exodus 19:16-19) The earthquake at Calvary signified that the demands of the law were over and curse of the law forever abolished. (Hebrews 12:18-24) The torn veil indicates He conquered sin; the earthquake that he conquered the law and fulfilled it.
For this reason… The law was never intended to be a permanent administration, but rather a temporary one. Galatians 3:19 (NIV) states, "What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred (Jesus) had come." (emphasis mine) Here, Paul is showing that the Law of Moses is an addition to God’s covenant with Abraham. It was added for the express purpose of revealing the holiness of God and the sinful nature of man, in order to make men know just how sinful they really were. Paul said in Romans 7:7 (NIV), "Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law."
For this reason… The law was meant to be a temporary measure until the Messiah came. Now that Jesus has come, the law is no longer in effect. Take a look at Romans 3:20-21 (NIV), "Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify."
For this reason… Every bit of the law was nailed to that bloody cross at Calvary , having been completed and fulfilled in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians 2:14-16 (NIV) says, "…having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration, or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ."
For this reason… The "written code" was the Decalouge, written by the finger of God himself, representing the whole law. This handwriting opposed us in that it only amplified every man’s guilt and unworthiness before God. Jesus blotted out this handwriting by His triumph at Calvary . He rendered it null and void. The Greek term used by Paul in verse 14 is "exaleipho" - "to totally wipe and wash away" or "to wipe off, wipe away, to obliterate." God used such a strong word to emphasize in unmistakable language the fact of the law’s obliteration for the Christian.
For this reason… Through Jesus’ death on the cross, we have been freed forever from the whole law. And we have also been freed from the “laws” the church of today has instilled. We must resist any temptation to become legalistic and thereby to become ensnared into new bondage to legalistic requirements. And we must resist the temptation to create a new set of laws – laws that were never written by God, and which were solely written by man.
Remember, the letter of the law will kill you, but the spirit of the law will set you free.
Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you."
Some people complain that Christians dwell on sin too much. The question is how much is “too much”? Remember, it only required ONE sin for Adam and Eve to get booted out of the Garden. Or is that, in fact, true? Only one sin? Let’s look at the situation… the serpent told Eve that she could not depend on God’s Word (Genesis 3:1-4 ). Then he told her that she could be like God – or more accurately, she could be equal to God, which – in effect – made her capable of becoming a god herself (Genesis 3:5) – the lie that epitomized the very reason Satan himself got booted out of heaven. Eve bought both lies, and ate the fruit, then gave some to Adam – who was standing right there the whole time and doing nothing to stop her (Genesis 3:6).
All of a sudden, the two most blessed people ever created had thrown God’s blessings to the ground and trampled them in favor of their own desires… Through their rebellion, the door was opened for sin and death to come into the world. Sin and death… sorrow and misery… disease and tragedy… guilt and depression… bitterness and hatred… unrighteous anger and pain… murder and adultery… perversion and pride…
So, again, how much is “too much”? And again, what is the root cause of all problems in the world? Sin. What is the one thing that keeps us from having joy and a full life in Jesus? Sin. What creates misery and guilt and depression and anger and bitterness and all the other things listed above? Sin. Could it be that the real problem is that Christians don’t dwell on sin enough?
Jesus wanted the man at the pool at Bethesda to enjoy the new lease he had been given on life. He wanted him to reach his full potential. He wanted him to take the talents and abilities that God had given him and use them to glorify God. If sin was an active part of his life, he could do none of these things. Sin cripples and maims a life. It destroys our ability to obtain joy. It wrecks our relationships. It eats at our insides, and makes us emotional and spiritual cripples.
"Stop sinning." Just what does this mean? Is it possible for a human being to be totally without sin? No. Why? Because even the best of us will mess up at some point. Even the best of us sins. Even Paul - the man God chose to carry the message of the cross to the Gentiles - the man who wrote nearly half of our New Testament - had problems with sin (Romans 7:7-24). So why would Jesus say, “Stop sinning”? Because He knows that although a totally sinless life is not possible, a heart turned toward Him and away from sin is very possible. A person who has repented of his sinful nature and turned his heart towards Jesus will sin less and less and less. And when a person whose focus is pleasing Jesus commits a sin, he will feel… not just guilt… not just remorse… not just shame… but total broken-heartedness. And once that person experiences that feeling of broken-heartedness, the likelihood of continuing to sin grows less. Day by day, the person learns what it really means to be free in Jesus. So, "stop sinning" is not a decree towards an impossible goal; it is an urging towards freedom.
“Or something worse may happen to you." What did Jesus mean? It’s quite simple… The man had spent his life being a cripple, and Jesus had just healed him. If the man led a sinful life going forward, any number of things could happen to him that would be worse than the crippled state from which he’d just been delivered… Yes, the wages of sin is death, but Jesus paid our “bill” in that department. However, the consequences of sin can be any number of horrible things, like venereal diseases (some of which are incurable, and at least one of which kills), prison, broken marriages, etc. So Jesus was warning the man that he’d been given a new lease on life, and not to blow it by diving into a life of sin.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to enable you to stop sinning - to turn your back on your sinful nature and turn your heart towards Jesus - so that you may have freedom through Him.
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1 NIV
At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat."
The Jews spent an awful lot of time getting bent out of shape where Jesus was concerned. He was rocking their religious boats! They were very comfortable in their religious traditions, having put more and more emphasis on the letter of the law as time passed. They had taken what God had written for them and added their own “creative embellishments”, making the laws that they lived by more and more and more detailed and nit-picking as time passed. They had forgotten the spirit of the law as it was given to Moses. They were centered on man-made rules and regulations rather than what God intended for them.
We do the same thing today. Look at the bickering that goes on between denominations – and within congregations - over matters that have nothing to do with Jesus. Man-made doctrinal differences were, after all, what caused the body of Christ to split into so many denominations in the first place. Look at your own congregation of believers… Do people argue and bicker over rules and traditions and man-made regulations? "This is the way we’ve always done it and we’re not going to change!" Is this the motto of your congregation? Or is it your own personal creed? If so, take a look at the things you’re holding on to. Are they of God? Or are they man-made rules that have forgotten the spirit of the law? Which is more important – following tradition or following Jesus?
In a situation like this, you need two things: a discerning heart that can tell the difference between what is ordained by God and what is designed by men, and a desire to be a “Berean” (Acts 17:11), so that you always check everything against God’s Word. Use the discernment God gives you to study His word, seeking diligently for His answers to your questions, and keeping this thought in mind… the letter of the law will kill you, but the spirit of the law will set you free!
Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." Mark 2:27-28 NIV
Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie - the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"
"Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me."
Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
Did you notice that when Jesus told the man to get up, pick up his mat and walk, the man did so - immediately? This man did not even know who Jesus was. He didn’t know that he was speaking to the Son of God. He didn’t know that Jesus could heal anything, no matter what the problem. But this man wanted to get well! He had waited thirty-eight years to be the first in the pool. But he was too sick to out-race the others to the water. He wanted someone… anyone… to help him. He didn’t have the strength within himself to take the steps needed to be healed, but he fully believed that if someone helped him, he would be healed. Jesus’ words - "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!” - were all that he needed. This was the help that he had sought for thirty-eight years. This was the help that he needed. And so, he was healed.
In 1985, my mother died. The last time I got to talk to her face to face was on Mother’s Day. A couple of weeks later, on June 1st, she was dead. From that day forward, every Mother’s Day, no matter how many times I said I wouldn’t do it, I eventually ended up in tears, mourning my mother and wishing I could see her again. Nothing I did helped. As hard as I tried, I could not keep from spending Mother’s Day in tears. Ten years later, as Mother’s Day 1995 approached, I begged the Lord to do whatever it took to heal me of that hurt. I didn’t think I could tolerate that pain one more time.
Then, on May 12th, two days before Mother’s Day, I rushed our daughter to the hospital 80 miles away. The baby wasn’t due for 8½ more weeks! But our daughter’s water had broken, so it was a certainty that our precious little granddaughter was going to be born anyway, no matter how early it was. And Christian Kate was born that day, frail and very ill, but with a fighting spirit that was determined to live, no matter what. She made it through the first 48 hours like a champion, defying the medical knowledge of the doctors, and confirming that God had touched her tiny body and made her well when modern medicine could only shake its head in defeat. And on Mother’s Day, May 14, 1995, the nurses carefully placed Christian Kate in my arms for the first time. As I held that precious little one, I could feel God healing my heart which had been broken ten years before.
There is not one person alive who can heal himself. Not one. Depression… mental or emotional illness… fear… anger… bitterness… turmoil… alcoholism… drug addiction… perversity… lust… grief… jealousy… selfishness - these are all things which can destroy life. If one or more of these things is a part of your life, it is stopping you from enjoying the fullness of life Jesus promised. You cannot rid yourself of any of these things alone. And a fortune spent on self-help books isn’t going to get you very far, either. The only real source of healing is Jesus and His love.
If you’re carrying one of these things around, it’s getting between you and Jesus. Ask him for the blessing of His healing power in your life so that you can experience the joy of the full life that He wants you to have.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 NIV
When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"
Do you want to get well? Sounds like a silly question, doesn’t it? But there are so many people who are sick – physically, emotionally or spiritually - who cling to their illnesses like security blankets, unwilling to take the steps needed to get well.
I once knew a man who had heart disease, and he refused to follow doctor’s orders, continuing his unhealthy physical habits. "We all gotta go sometime!" was his motto. Well, he went… and a lot earlier than he should have. But he found drinking, eating to the point of morbid obesity, and smoking four packs of cigarettes a day more desirable than living a much longer and healthier life! He did not want to get well.
Then there is a woman with whom I spent over two years counseling, trying to help her through the rough time after her divorce. We talked several times a week and I would give her advice, scripture to study, and a willing ear. Finally, I realized that this woman did not want to get over it! Two years into counseling, she was right where she was emotionally and spiritually when we began. She was so deeply entrenched in her own misery, she was actually clinging to it! She did not want to get well.
How about you? Is there some long held misery in your life? A health problem you could clear up if you’d only take the steps to do it? An emotional problem you could be rid of if you’d work at it, opening up to let Jesus heal you? A sin that holds more appeal than the alternative? A spiritual problem that you’re avoiding taking to the Lord in prayer? Do you want to get well?
Your health - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual - is extremely important to our Lord. He wants you to be well. But you have to want it, too. Examine yourself to see whether you really want it or not, and if not, ask the Lord to help you develop a desire to get well, and then to have the courage to take the steps needed to achieve wellness.
"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17 NIV